Career History

Since 2016, Scientific Coordinator, ICGEBSince 1990, Group Leader of the Tumour Virology Laboratory at ICGEB, Trieste, Italy, during which time the laboratory has become internationally renowned for its work on Human Papillomaviruses and their roles in the development of human malignancy. 1988-1990, independent Research Scientist at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in London, UK, where he continued his studies on the role of Human Papillomavirus oncoproteins in the development of cervical cancer. 1984-1988, Post Doctoral Fellow at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London, UK, working with Lionel Crawford on p53 and Human Papillomaviruses.

He is Journal Editor on Journal of Virology, FEBS Journal, Papillomavirus Research, PLoS One, and is on the Editorial Boards of Antiviral Therapy, Virology, Virus Research and Biological Chemistry

Scientific Activity

Human Papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the causative agents of a number of human tumours, including cervical cancer, which is a major cause of cancer related death in women in many parts of the developing world. The development of HPV-induced malignancies requires the activity of two viral oncoproteins, E6 and E7. Together they act to deregulate a large number of cellular control pathways, primarily to create an environment favourable for viral replication, but which can ultimately give rise to malignancy. A major activity of the laboratory is to understand the molecular basis underlying the activities of E6 and E7 and how this contributes towards the development of cancer. Since E6 and E7 are essential for maintenance of the tumour phenotype, they also represent excellent candidates for therapeutic intervention in HPV-induced disease, and by characterising the functions of important cellular interacting partners, this can help identify novel therapeutic targets. An important aspect of the laboratory’s work is the relevance that it has for understanding the mechanisms of cancer development in general, with many of the insights gained from studying the mechanisms of action of E6 and E7 being relevant for many other types of cancer.

The Tumour Virology Laboratory also has a strong interest in understanding how HPV enters the target cell. Current studies are focused on understanding how a viral capsid protein, L2, directs the incoming viral genome to the nucleus. In particular, we are interested in how this protein recruits the cellular machinery involved in the regulation of endocytic cargo transport, and thereby ensures the correct trafficking of the incoming viral genome. We are also interested in understanding how post-translational modification of the viral capsid proteins contributes towards virus entry, but also regulates virus assembly during a productive virus infection. These studies are intended to shed light on the fundamental aspects governing virus assembly and uptake, but may also provide information on novel means of therapeutic intervention.

The Group makes use of the latest molecular cell biology and biochemical techniques, focusing primarily on the cellular interacting partners of the viral proteins. As has been seen with many other DNA Tumour Virus models, HPV research offers unique insights into the processes affecting diverse and critical aspects of Cell Biology.